A Prince of the East
by Iris Butterfly
Summary: Lily knew her best friend is hiding something from her - there was no way someone who was on the brink of death and was bedridden for days to be suddenly up and about as if nothing had happened. Not to mention, that strange symbol and wings she saw in the hospital wing. He definitely is hiding a secret from her.


**Note**: Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

Severus Snape openly glared and scowled at the group of people before him. The Marauders had ganged up on him while he was busy perusing the questions he remembered from his OWL exams. He supposed it should not surprise him that they would do this unsightly deed in broad daylight in front of other students, or the fact that other students would be disinclined to help him.

'Schoolboy tussle, indeed.' He sneered inwardly, remembering the words that the Headmaster used when he had the unfortunate opportunity to come face to maw with a certain werewolf.

It irked him that his own spell – Levicorpus, one that he created and privately shared with his childhood friend, Lily Evans, mere days ago – had been used against him. Furthermore, the Marauders all but vanished his trousers before snickering students, making it so that he was suspended in midair in his knickers.

His scowl only deepened when he silently scanned the crowd to locate Lily and saw a flash of amused smile on her expression. It seemed she quickly schooled her face when she saw him looking at her and came forward to say:

"Leave him alone!"

He could not believe that his supposed childhood best friend found his humiliation amusing. The fact that she was a prefect more responsible than Lupin did not matter, because he could conclude with clarity that she was just the same as everyone else he had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting.

"If you go out with me, Evans, I'll stop tormenting Snape. Deal?"

"You're out of your mind, Potter!" Lily retorted in an incensed tone and brandished her wand. "I'm going to report you to Professor McGonagall for your horrid behavior. Now, let Sev down!"

Severus ignored the incessant arguments between Potter and Lily that occurred for the next couple of minutes. Finally, Potter conceded with utmost reluctance (after Lily threatened to _reducio _his bits) and uttered the counter-spell to release him.

He bit back a startled yell when he unexpectedly began to freefall and inwardly braced himself when the ground neared. He had no time to _accio_ his wand wandlessly, nor the time to ensure that he fell in right position, so he didn't break his neck.

A loud thud resonated through the area and he let out a low groan, silently halting scathing remarks from escaping his lips when he felt stickiness from the back of his head. He knew undoubtedly that he could not move from his position without hurting himself.

He faintly heard a frantic yet worried voice from his right, and within seconds, he saw the worried eyes of Lily in his vision. It hurt too much to focus, and he just wanted to rest. Her lips moved, but he could not hear what she was saying – she was looking on her left, shouting something to another student nearby before she looked back at him.

She uttered something to him yet again; however, he relinquished his desire to decipher it in favor of resting his eyes, if only for a moment.

* * *

Lily pursed her lips as she nervously paced in front of the Hospital Wing. Her heart still thundered rapidly while she waited for the news of her best friend – even now, she found it difficult to understand the reason behind her housemates' assault on Sev.

There was no way to word this incident nicely. It shocked her when she realized the blood pooling around Severus's head – she could still see the image of Sev lying in an odd angle with his blood pooling around him whenever she closed her eyes. It was as if he was a discarded toy, as much as she loathed to admit.

The next few minutes thereafter had been rushed and frantic as she and a Hufflepuff prefect levitated Severus to the Hospital Wing. A sharp intake and a glare from Madam Pomfrey were all the matron said, and promptly locked everyone from the room.

That had been more than three hours ago.

"How is he, Minerva?"

Lily jumped in startled when she heard the Headmaster's grave tone from behind her. She had not heard him coming at all, but she supposed he would when a student had been gravely injured.

"Poppy is still in there with some healers from St. Mungo." Professor McGonagall informed in a serious tone. "I can't believe James and his friends had done this to another student, Albus. I sent an owl to their parents earlier, and to Mr. Snape's mother. They should be arriving soon."

"Thank you, Minerva." Headmaster replied solemnly and shifted his stern gaze unto the Marauders, who attempted to blend in with the walls.

She had forgotten that James and his friends were still in the hallway with her. She faintly remembered them trailing after her and the Hufflepuff prefect when she brought Sev to Madam Pomfrey. Everything after that had been a blur to her.

"This is a very somber situation, boys." The serious look and tone in the Headmaster's visage signify just how grave it was. "Would any of you care to enlighten me how Mr. Snape sustained those injuries?"

"We were just talking to him about the Defense OWL." Sirius replied, trying to sound and look innocent.

Lily opened her mouth to refute that his statement was untrue, but a sharp look from Professor McGonagall made her snap her mouth shut.

"You needed to speak to Mr. Snape, so you suspended him in midair without his trousers to ensure that you had his attention?" Dumbledore raised a dubious brow with a clear distinction of disapproval in his tone.

The Marauders nodded, albeit with less enthusiasm at the chastise; although Lupin looked thoroughly sullen at the rebuke.

"It seems my concern for this situation was warranted." The headmaster continued and held up a hand when Sirius was about to interrupt him. "I have not forgotten the incident with Remus last year. It seems Mr. Snape has been correct - the animosity between you four and him is simply not schoolboy tussle as I believed it to be. Now, you see what can happen when bullying gets uncontrollable."

"Bullying?" Sirius echoed incredulously with a scoff. "He's a slimy snake, on his way to be a Death Eater! And he reached for his wand first!"

Lily nervously gulped when Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at Sirius's insinuation, and questioned in a sharp tone, "What would you have done if four boys with whom you have a turbulent history confronted you?"

"We are very sorry, sir. We didn't mean for this to happen." James interjected somberly with a dejected look.

"It is not me you should apologize to." Dumbledore remarked with a frown and promptly looked away from the four, looking completely disappointed by their actions. "I will decide what to do with you as soon as we know about Mr. Snape's conditions."

The dismissal was clearly evident in the headmaster's tone, but whatever words he was about to utter completely fell array when the doors to hospital wing slammed open with a distraught Madam Pomfrey.

"Albus, he's not waking up!"

Lily did not bother to wait for permission from the matron and immediately followed the headmaster into the hospital wing. She heard footsteps behind her, silently noting Professor McGonagall and the Marauders from the corner of her eyes – she had no idea why the four wanted to follow after them, but she was ready to hex them if they stepped a toe out of line.

There were three healers crowding around a bed, each waving a wand over Severus's person with a tight frown on each healer's expression. The knitted brows explicitly told her that none of what they did worked, and they were at a loss on how to proceed.

"We have healed his wounds and done everything we could, but he is in coma. Not magical, mind you. He took a sharp hit to the back of his head, you see." One of the healers, presumably the Head Healer, commented with a grimace. "It will be difficult to say when he would wake up, Professor Dumbledore."

Or if he would wake up, was the unspoken words that everyone heard.

"Thank you, Sebastian." The headmaster replied graciously with a nod.

The healers soon left the premise after exchanging some quiet words with Madam Pomfrey, and the palpable solemn atmosphere returned once more. No one dared to utter a word while the matron hooked some Muggle medical devices to Severus. From what Lily understood, they were heart monitor and IV drips with nutrient potions in it.

A lump formed in the back of her throat when she chanced a look towards Severus, who, for once, looked serene and not in imminent danger.

"Sev…"

* * *

Albus Dumbledore felt himself aged by several decades when his thoughts referred back to young Severus Snape in the Hospital Wing. In hindsight, he knew it was a mistake to think that the rivalry between the four sitting before him and Severus was not a schoolboy tussle, especially when he now realized the vindicated streak these four had.

He still does not know how he managed to inform young Severus's mother or how he worded it. He never would have thought that he would have to do so during his tenure. How does one tell a child's parent that her child is in a coma due to bullying without making it seem like neglect on his part?

"Professor…"

Whatever words or platitudes James was about utter died down when the floo network flared up. Within seconds, Fleamont Potter and his wife, Euphemia, stepped out – the two gave quizzical looks at his direction, but he immediately gestured them to take a seat.

"What is going on, Albus?" Fleamont asked in a no-nonsense tone.

"Is Jamie in trouble?" Euphemia added with a frown.

"I will explain when everyone is here, Lord Potter, Lady Potter." He responded formally, just to hint the severity of the problem.

In the next few minutes, the Lupins (Lyall and Hope), the Blacks (Orion and Walburga), and Anna Pettigrew arrived. Once again, he directed them to the seats before him and ordered a round of refreshments while he carefully constructed the statement in his head.

There was no easy to say this, no matter how he looked at it.

"It is regretful that we are meeting under this circumstance, but I will not sweeten the words. We had an incident involving your sons and another student yesterday. I am equally appalled and disappointed by their actions." He began somberly with a serious expression. "From what witnesses say, James and his friends ambushed a student, who was minding his own business. What resulted from this incident was that, we now have a student in a coma and to be very blunt, unless a miracle of sorts occurred, it is very unlikely that he would wake up or if at all."

Stunned silence blanketed the room as the parents tried to digest the news, and the four students uneasily fidgeted in their seats, fully aware of the disapproving stares directed at them.

"May I ask who the student is?" Fleamont questioned with a frown.

"His name is Severus Snape. Horace tells me that he is a genius in potions, and it is very likely that he would either become a Potions Master or a healer in the future. He has already invented his own spells, from what other professors tells me. He is a rare talent that we see mayhap once per generation." Albus answered with a pointed look that made everyone aware of the unsaid words.

"Augustus's grandson." Orion uttered with a pinched look.

He nodded in confirmation, and continued, "I had informed his mother of the incident this morning. Suffice to say, she made her displeasure quite well-known."

"Are you going to expel Remus and his friends?" Hope interjected with a frown.

He understood where she was coming from, especially when he considered the creature issue young Remus had, but he also needed to consider what other parents and the Board of Governors would say if (or perhaps, the correct wording would be 'when') they knew about this incident. He also needed to consider restitution on young Severus's behalf.

"I believe the best possible solution now would be three weeks' suspension, revoking Quidditch privileges from James and Sirius, revoking Prefect honor from Remus, detention with Mr. Filch until graduation, and surveillance of their movements for the next year. Your wands will be checked by Professor McGonagall every night, and you also will forfeit your Invisibility Cloak and the so-called Marauders' map." Albus stated relentlessly, knowing that this was what he should have done last year. He held up a hand to cease whatever protests the four had, and continued, "Gryffindor will forfeit the House Cup this year. It will be Professor McGonagall's purview to decide if the House of Gryffindor will compete next year."

"In addition to the Headmaster's punishment, we will be having words about your actions, Sirius Orion Black." Walburga added in a chilling calm tone that did not showcase her ire. "You will be spending the rest of the holidays at home."

Fleamont sent a disappointed look at James, who looked quite chastened and did not dare to look up, and said, "Same goes for you, James. You will have to write a letter to your schoolmate's mother explaining your actions, and how you will make restitution to the young man when he wakes up. That is, if he wakes up. The House of Potters do not condone murders, and what you've done is just shy of one."

"I can't believe you would ruin another's future like this, James." Euphemia added softly with disappointment glistening in her eyes.

Whatever words or conversations the other parents were going to unleash immediately halted when the floo network flared up, and Poppy's voice rang out:

"Albus! You have to come quick! Something is happening to young Severus!"

He gave a quick glance towards the four students and their parents, silently contemplating if he should have them wait here or have them come with him. He was quite unsure if it would be wise to bring them to see young Severus, especially when Eileen Snape was still present in the Hospital Wing since their conversation hours ago.

"We're coming too." Fleamont insisted with a stubborn look.

* * *

This was not the first time Lily met her best friend's mother, but it was certainly the first time she had seen the woman this distraught. However, given the situation, she understood and gave the older woman a wide breadth.

That had been some hours ago, and when she revisited the Hospital Wing after her last class of the day, she found the older woman sitting by the bedside with a hand clasped in Sev's hand.

"Oh, Severus…" Eileen whispered as she brushed away some strands of hair away from his tranquil expression.

Lily did not know what to make the situation, so she opted to sit on the opposite side and exchanged some greetings. When silence blanketed the room, she decided to regale her best friend with the happenings in Hogwarts, if only to fill the lull and occupy herself with something.

She told him tales of her fellow Gryffindor friends, the classes, and her plans for the summer. She noticed from the corner of her eyes that Eileen was giving her an appraising look. She had no idea what to make of it, so she continued with her tale of Mary's attempts to woo the Hufflepuff prefect who helped Severus.

"- and then in Charms, Mary sat next to him, but he didn't notice until Professor Flitwick said we were supposed to partner up." Lily rambled animatedly with hand gestures. "He was so surprised to know that it wasn't his friend sitting next to him."

"Miss Evans." Eileen interjected smoothly.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Can I leave Severus in your care?" The older woman asked with piercing stare that made her nervous. "I need to get back before his father returns."

"O-of course."

The two exchanged some pleasantries, where one was in a calm manner while the other was in a nervous stutter, and Eileen left the room via the floo network. The room blanketed in silence yet again, save for the beeping noises from the heart monitor, as Lily fidgeted in her seat anxiously before she moved to where Eileen had sat.

"Between you and me, Sev, your mom is scary." She whispered to her best friend as she grabbed his hand. "I wish you'd wake up soon, Sev."

She nearly jumped in startled when the doors opened and Madam Pomfrey walked in with a tray of new nutrient potions. She wordlessly began to change the drips and then hooked up a new pouch of nutrient potions.

"Miss Evans, have you had your dinner yet?" The matron asked with eyes focused on the current task.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey." She answered in the same quiet tone, and waited until the healer had finished with her task to ask, "How is Sev doing?"

"There's still no changes, sadly. I don't know what's wrong with him. None of us do… it's as if he had shut down."

Lily didn't know what to say to that, so she kept her silence as she clenched her hand around his.

A startled gasp escaped from her mouth when her best friend's body began to glow in silver light and his body began levitating a couple of feet off the bed. The body then began to aglow, emitting a silvery light that strangely reminded Lily of moonlight, and an astral form of her best friend separated from his body. Throughout this strange event, his hospital attire and hair ruffled in invisible air, and interestingly, a strange sigil depicting a pair of wings materialized around the bed.

"I'm going to inform the headmaster of this development." That was the only warning Madam Pomfrey gave.

She ignored the fact that the matron was speaking to the headmaster via floo network, and continued to keep her eyes on Severus, who was still suspended in midair. She did not know how many minutes it had passed, but she finally tore her gaze away from the scene when the doors slammed opened.

The headmaster walked in first, and the Marauders and their parents followed shortly after. She noted that their gazes first landed on the levitating Severus – they looked quite perplexed by the development – before they noticed her presence at last.

"You say it just happened?" Dumbledore inquired in a thoughtful tone after he finished conversing with the matron to get an update. "That is rather strange."

Lily let out a surprised gasp when the astral form of her best friend shattered into myriads of pieces, like a mirror, and a pair of angelic wings sprouted from Severus's shoulder blades. The wings cocooned around his body for the next few tense seconds, and a pale silver ring of light emitted from its center. She would have thought that the wings would unfurl in the next few seconds, but it remained tightly clasped together and hovered in midair as if it had a mind of its own.

"Headmaster, do you know what these strange symbols mean?" Madam Pomfrey questioned, gesturing to the sigil that was glowing underneath the winged cocoon.

"I'm afraid not, Poppy." Dumbledore replied with an inquisitive look at the sigil. "Will you inform me when these wings release our young Severus?"

"Of course."


End file.
